Combined cut-off and pressure-requlator



2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. FRANK.

UOMBINED OUT-OFF AND PRESSURE REGULATOR.

Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

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(No ModeLj I 2 Sheets-SheeE 2. A. FRANK. COMBINED GUT-OFF AND PRESSURE REGULATOR. No. 392,602. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

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ABRAHAM FRANK, OF

IRlVIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,602, dated November 13, 1888.

Application filed Doccmbcr27,1887. Serial No. 250,000. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM FRANK, of Irwin, in the county of \Vestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in a'Gombined Gut- Off and Pressure-Regulator; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to cut-offs and regulators for supply-pipes, and more especially for use with gas. \Vherea house or factory is supplied with gas from a street-main it frequently happens, and especially with natural gas, that the pressure on the main ceases or falls very low, which causes all the grates, stoves, or burners using the gas to go out with the gasoutlets open, so that when the pressure again rises in the service-main the gas escapes into the room where the stove, burner, or grate may be situated. If this cessation of the pressure in the supply-main takes place at night or when no person is around, the flow of the gas into the apartment when the pressure again rises would continueifor some time before it would be discovered and would probably suffocate any one who might be sleeping in the room, or else form an explosive compound which would ignite as soon as a light was brought in contact therewith.

The object of my invention is to provide a cut-off which will be operated automatically by the fall of the pressure of the gas or other fluid in the supply-pipe to close the inlet for said gas, so that when the pressure rises the gas cannot flow through said inlet until the cut-off is opened by some other means than the pressure of the gas itself, and thus all danger of gas escaping into an apartment by the fall of pressure in the main avoided.

A further object of the invention is to provide a regulator to be used in connection with the cut-off to insure a more uniform pressure of the gas supplied to the burners.

To these ends myinvention consistsin the improvements hereinafter set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a section of my improved apparatus, showing the position of the parts when the inlet-valve is closed; and Fig. 2 is a simiwhen the inlet-valve is open.

Like letters refer to like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

In the form of my invention which I have illustrated in the drawings the valve chamber or casing 00 is provided with an inlet or supply pipe, I), at its upper or inlet end, I), the casing standing in a vertical position, which pipe I) may be connected directly to the main when the device serves for the entire house, or where it is to be used for a grate or stove it is connected to the supply-pipe for that grate or stove. The casing a is also provided with a gas-outlet, c, leadingto the grates, stoves, 800., in which the gas is to be burned, and below said outlet with a U-shaped extension'pipe, d, in which a column of fluid, d, preferably mercury, employed for operating the apparatus, is stored. This mercury or other fluid in the extension-pipe 01 extends up into the chamber a a short distance below the gas-outlet 0 when the column is at its normal position, and has floating on its surface a float, f, which is connected by a rod, 9, to a lever, h, pivoted in the main portion a of the chamher or casing a, the other end of said lever h being connected by a link, i, to a rod, j, passing through suitable guides, j, which rod is secured to the lower side of the valve lc,which rests on a seat, Z, at the mouth of the gas-inlet b. This valve k may be of any suitable construction, and preferably opens upward.

For the purpose of opening the valve 70, so as to allow the first gas to pass through after the valve has been once closed, a push pin or rod, or, or other suitable device passes through a stuffing-box, n, in the casing a and bears against one arm of the lever it, so that said lever may be forced down and the valve is up, as shown in Fig. 1, to permit the gas to enter the chamber or casing a and pass down and press on the surface of the column of mercury d, the pressure forcing said fluid down in one arm, p, of the Ushaped extension-pipe d and up in the other arm, p, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. This movement of the column of fluid d carries with it the floatf, which draws down the lever h and holds the valve is open as long as the pressure of the lar section showing the position of the parts gas is on the column of fluid; but as soon as the pressure of the gas falls the column of mercury d,being no longer acted upon by pressure on its surface to hold it at unequal heights in the two arms of the pipe d, returns to its normal level and forces up the float f, which drops the valve 7.: back on its seat Z, closing the gas-inlet. If now the pressure, after ceasing,rises again,the valve 7c in the inlet I) is closed and cannot be opened by the gas, as the pressure of the latter simply tends to hold the valve more tightly in its seat, and thus, if, as frequently happens, this cessation of gas-pressure takes place at a time when no one is around to turn off the valve at the grate or burner, the supply-pipe for the latter is closed, so that when the pressure does rise again the gas cannot escape from the open burner, as would otherwise be the case. \Vhen this automatic closing of the supply-pipe has taken place, before the gas can again pass to the grates or burners it is necessary to open the inlet-valve 7-; by forcing the push-rod m into the chamber a,which causes the floatf to be immersed in the mercury-column d and opens the valve 7:, the latter being held open long enough to permit the gas-pressure to act on the surface of the column of mercury to keep the valve is automatically open in manner heretofore described.

To employ the device as a regulator in conneetion with the cut-off, a valve-seat, 0, is formed in the chamber a just above the outlet c, and a valve, 1, is attached above this seat to the rod that extends up from the float, the position of the valve on the rod being so adjusted that when the valve 1c is closed, as shown in 1, the valve (1 will be open to its greatest extent. This regulator-valve acts as follows: The inlet-valve 7c being open and the gas passing into the chamber a and acting on the surface of the column of fluid d, if the pressure of the gas increases the fluid is forced down in the pipe d,and the floatfdraws down the valve q toward the seat 0, reducing the area of the passage for the gas to the outlet 0, which area becomes smaller and smaller as the pressure of the gas increases. On the other hand, if thepressure of the gas becomes less the column of fluid raises the float j", which causes the regulator-valve q to be raised, increasing the amount of space for the passage of the gas to the outlet,and thus maintaining a more uniform pressure in the latter than would be the case if the gas passed uninterruptedly to said outlet.

My improved apparatus is very simple in construction and very effective in operation, as it cuts off the gas the moment the pressure falls too low to keep up the flame at the burner. The effective cutting off of the gas when the pressure fails is one of great importance with natural gas, because the failure of pressure in the supply-pipes is a constant source of danger to be guarded against, as it falls without warning and comes on again with equal suddenness. When no device is employed to cutoff the gas throughout the house, when this fall of pressure does take place leakage from some open burnersuch as the furnaceis sure to take place,which causes the house or apartment to be filled with a highlyexplosive mixture and an atmosphere destructive to life. With my apparatus all possibility of this danger is avoided, as the moment the pressure of the gas falls it is out off, and the valve can only be opened by some one when the pressure is known to be on the pipes.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a cut off or regulator device, the combination of a casing having an inlet and outlet therefrom, a valve controlling the former, a column of fluid subjected to the pressure of the gas after it has passed said inlet, a float on the surface of said column, connections between said float and the inlet-valve,and a regulatorvalve between said inlet and outlet and operated by said float, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a cut-off or regulator device, the combination of a casing having an inlet and outlet for the gas, a valve controlling said inlet, a column of mercury or other fluid subjected to the pressure of the gas after it has passed said 5 inlet, a float on the surface of said column,conneotions between said float and theinlet-valve, so that thelatter is held open by the pressure of the gas on the column, and means extending into said casing to open said valve after it has been closed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a cut-off or regulator device, the combination of a casing, a, having the inlet 1) and outlet 0, a valve, 70, for controlling said inlet, an extension, d, attached to the lower end of said casing and having a column of mercury therein, a float on the surface of said mercury, and a system of levers between said float and the valve 7.:, whereby the pressure of the gas on the surface of the mercury keeps said valve open, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said ABRAHAM FRANK, have hereunto set my hand.

V ABRAHAM FRANK.

\Vitnesses:

N. S. STOCKWELL, J. N. OooKn.

IIO 

